Some battlers explode into the scene the moment they come up with their rap alias, and others wait years for their breakthrough. Pedro is one of the latter: he has been active for four years in Don’t Flop and yet has often been overlooked for many of the big international match-ups and U.S. recognition.
For transatlantic fans, Pedro may not even be a blip on the radar despite having battled alongside Philly Swain against Dizaster and Oshea, in addition to an appearance on Ground Zero in Toronto against N-Pose on Day 3 of "World Domination 4."
But in the U.K., his furious, quasi-nonsensical freestyles and unwavering conviction have given him a sizable fan base, comprised of many newer fans who look on him as old-school DF fans used to look on Oshea.
A clash with Pedro is a U.K. battling rite of passage. He’s come up against pretty much every U.K. stalwart imaginable: Tony D, Oshea, Deffinition, Dotz, Pamflit, Unanymous, Mark Grist, Zen, Im, Double L – basically, bar a select few, everyone who matters. His appeal lies in his exceptional off-the-top ability and his bizarre undercurrent of disconnected humor and cartoon violence that almost always flattens a room. Pedro is one of the few battlers who unintentionally gets show-stopping reactions.
http://instagram.com/p/0BstMIopgy/
Because he rarely sits down, let alone thinks about writing rounds, his scrappy allure is one that gives his battles an air of unpredictably and audience support that is virtually unique. His star is on the rise, too – he dropped fourteen battles last year and since the start of this year has taken on the recently retired champion Tony D and U.K. favorite Oshea.
His Facebook is also a thing of beauty. This series of motivational posters need be your only introduction.
He has two international opponents lined up, one against the equally unfathomable Michael White and another with an as-yet-unannounced ‘hugest opponent ever,’ and it looks like he is still absolutely everywhere. Any league. Any battle. Any unrelated sentence that pops into his head. As the culture heads towards focused writing, Pedro is consistently refreshing. Rarely perfect, always rough around the edges yet consistently frenetic and entertaining, he’s one of the most prevailing and unique characters in U.K. battle rap.
Here’s what Twitter has to say about Pedro:
Pedro > Your Life
— eurgh (@twitteurgh) March 10, 2015
@DAYLYT2k battle Pedro from Don't flop. He's the fucking king.
— Rock Bottom🎗 (@mickystubbs) February 11, 2015
HOW TO PEDRO PROPERLY
Here's a rundown of the must-see Pedro battles.
PEDRO vs. EMC
In this KOTR battle, he rips his opponent's shirt mid-round. The short clip has almost twice as many views as the full battle, which you can watch here.
PEDRO vs. OSHEA
Despite being from March 2015, this battle has a definite throwback vibe to it. Scrappy, inane freestyling, non-sequiturs flying everywhere, and a glassy-eyed Osh trying to process what was going on somehow lead into an endlessly quotable, reassuringly silly British battle. It’s undoubtedly Pedro at his best.
PEDRO vs. TONY D
If you are confident enough to freestyle an entire battle against the retired Champ’s writing, you deserve some level of cult appreciation. On smaller U.K. league 'King of the Ronalds,' the battle is yet again a complete mess, in the best possible way.
PEDRO vs. UNANYMOUS
One of the most energetic battles on Don’t Flop. Both battlers are practically melted by the end of the clash, but it veers between fun and deep with reckless abandon.
PEDRO vs CEEZLIN
Any battle in which one of the performers enthusiastically owns up to being an Avril Lavigne fan is worth a look. This is the first time Pedro really had his style together.
Photos by Liam Bagnall and Charles Hyams.
What's your favorite Pedro moment? Let us know in the comments below.
{{ comment.author.name }}
{{ reply.author.name }}